BUILDING COMMUNITY Money raised from the Giving Trees Festival, a Christmas tree decorating competition, will support the Copp
family, pictured above.

Giving Trees Festival
Christmas tree decorating contest,
fundraiser to benefit local family
MEGAN RULE
Staff Writer
Christmas tree decorating will take
on a whole new meaning with The
Giving Trees Festival on Saturday and
Sunday, a new fundraising event that
will help differently-abled individuals
and families in the Central Texas area
live more independently through home
modification. This year’s fundraiser
will benefit the Copp family.
Melissa Copp, event coordinator
and mother of two boys who will
benefit from this event, said she is
working with Heart of Central Texas
Independent Living on The Giving
Trees Festival. She said the fundraiser
came from the need to build her sons
a fully wheelchair-accessible home.
Through partnering with Heart of

Central Texas Independent Living,
a Central Texas nonprofit, they were
able to make the event happen. The
event will be from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday
in the Ranger Room in the Waco
Convention Center where people
can view and purchase the donated
decorated trees.
“The Copp boys have never been
able to access all of their home for
their own use,” Copp said in an email
to the Lariat. “Consultants have come
inside our home just to tell us it’s too
much to remodel to make accessible.
For the last two years, we have been
actively searching for an accessible
home to continue to raise the boys in.”
Calan and Lawson Copp were

TREES >> Page 4

After several hours of negotiations, a
man who barricaded himself inside his shed
in the 200 block of Garden Drive peacefully
surrendered Wednesday evening and is in
police custody. He was in the shed from 2 to
6:45 p.m.
Robert Elmer Evans has been booked in
McLennan County Jail and is facing charges
for a parole violation. Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton,
spokesman for the Waco Police Department,
said it was unclear whether or not Evans had a
weapon with him.
The Waco Police Department was doing a
follow-up with a separate theft incident when
they spotted Evans, who had two warrants out
for his arrest, Swanton said. A SWAT team was
dispatched after the suspect entered the shed.
Evans, in his 50s, has a record of firearms
offenses and is named in a burglary of habitation
warrant and parole warrant, Swanton said. He
is also a member of the Aryan Brotherhood,
which is defined by the FBI as a violent, white
supremacist gang, Swanton said.
“Our negotiators had been communicating
with him for the past several hours,” Swanton
said. “Obviously he did not want to go to jail.
That was his main concern. We walked him
through that, and I think he understood that we
were limited on our options with him.”

MERRY AND BRIGHT Christmas trees like this will
be decorated for the contest.

bay lo r l a r i at.c o m

Deadline for course evaluations draws near
MCKENNA MIDDLETON
Page One Editor
At the end of every semester,
Baylor students receive an email
urging them to complete course
evaluations. An evaluation for a
single course takes about five minutes
to complete and asks questions about

the effectiveness of the instructor and
the course itself.
Dr. Wesley Null, vice provost for
undergraduate education, oversees
the administration of the course
evaluations.
“Course evaluation feedback is
used by instructors as they consider
making revisions to their courses,”

Null said. “In addition, course
evaluations are used as one of many
factors, including peer evaluations,
that are taken into consideration as
faculty are evaluated each year.”
Course evaluations offer students
the opportunity to anonymously
provide feedback about the classes
they have completed that semester.

The survey allows students to
respond to statements on a scale
from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly
Disagree” and to open-ended
questions by writing in an answer.
“Course evaluations are a key
opportunity for students to provide
feedback to their instructors,
feedback that they otherwise might

not have a chance to share,” Null
said. “The university is very proud of
the high-quality instruction that we
offer and that course evaluations are
an important feedback mechanism
that demonstrates to students that
their feedback matters.”

DEADLINE >> Page 3

Church reaches community through tutoring
MEGAN MCCASLAND
Contributor
To get all the wiggles out, 40
first- through fifth-graders, chatting
excitedly with the volunteers who
picked them up, walk two blocks
every day after school from Dean
Highland Elementary School to
Highland Baptist Church. Once
there, they play on the playground,
have snacks, go through a rotation
between a Bible story, play
games, receive tutoring and finish
homework.
This program is called WiN,
which stands for “Wisdom and
iNstruction from the Lord,” and is
a mentoring and tutoring program
that happens every Monday
through Friday after school for
three hours in between when the
students get released from school
and when their parents get off from

work.
Jamie Hipp, the Go pastor,
or missions pastor, said WiN is a
great opportunity that lead pastor
John Durham began three years
ago when he came to the church.
“It’s holistic in the sense of
providing for a number of areas for
those kids,” Hipp said, “but at the
same time, it’s a time for us to be
able to care for them and love on
them as they’re from a variety of
different backgrounds.”
Callie Anderson, a volunteer
at WiN since September, said she
loves being able to show Christ’s
love to the children.
“Laying the foundation of faith
early in these kids can absolutely
change the trajectory of their
lives,” Anderson said.
Another part of the WiN

CHURCH >> Page 4

Liesje Powers | Photo Editor

HIT THE BOOKS Highland Baptist Church, through its WiN program, which
stands for “Wisdom and iNstruction from the Lord,” partners with students
from Dean Highland Elementary School for after-school tutoring.

Reach out to
those in need
BRADI MURPHY
Arts & Life Editor
Throughout the
year, many look
forward to the
Christmas season.
It is a holiday that
brings smiles and
laughs as families
gather
around
luxurious
trees
and
outstanding
meals. Christmas
is a cherished holiday with extravagant
lights, luminous decorations and
magnificent gifts. However, during this
season, individuals should take a step
back and remember what Christmas is
actually meant for.
Christmas is a time for giving to
family and friends, but more importantly,
Christmas is about giving to others who
may not have as much as you. There
are many families who are not able to
celebrate Christmas due to financial
limitations. Some parents may struggle
to buy one gift for their children or even
display a tree in their living room.
There are many organizations that
allow people to give to less fortunate
families by donating gifts or helping
wrap presents.
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve hosts
the Toys for Tots Program, a foundation
that donates toys, books and other gifts
to less fortunate families.
Toys for Tots began in 1995 and
today has distributed over 512 million
toys to over 237 million children. Their
mission is to collect new, unwrapped
toys during October, November and
December each year and distribute those
toys as Christmas gifts to children in the
community in which the campaign is
conducted, their website said.
In high school, my Spanish teacher
hosted a Toys for Tots drive at our
school during December. She bribed
her students to donate by offering extra
credit points for every 10 toys students
brought in. Knowing I could help my
grade just by buying a few toys. I started
out by bringing in 10 toys but then was
hooked. I loved the cause so much that I
went back and bought to more toys.
No matter the size or price, donating
could bring big smiles to children as
they wake up Christmas morning and
see a present of their own under the tree.
I also volunteer at Operation Blue
Santa, a nonprofit organization put
on by the Austin Police Department.
Operation Blue Santa provides families
with a holiday meal and toys for each
child in their household. The nonprofit
began in 1972 and this year will serve
over 5,000 families, according to their
website.
Through volunteering with them,
I have been involved in sorting out
donated gifts into age categories,
wrapping the toys and packaging the
toys with a meal in the warehouse.
While I am not able to see the
direct impact that my donating and
volunteering will bring families, I enjoy
knowing that I am making an impact in
someone else’s holiday.
During Christmastime, it is easy to
forget that there are families who don’t
have decorations or nice meals to gather
around on Christmas day.
Volunteering and donating has made
me appreciate all I receive at Christmas.
Imagining a little boy's face as he opens
his new truck or race car and the parents'
looks of relief that they were able to give
their child a present makes me want to
continue giving.
When volunteering or donating, be
sure to research the charity, as there are
some that do not give all of the proceeds
to the recipients.
Bradi Murphy is a sophomore
journalism major from Austin.

Plato wrote “To prefer evil
to good is not in human nature;
and when a man is compelled to
choose one of two evils, no one will
choose the greater when he might
have the less.”
The argument of innate human
evil stretches back to the early
days of the Greek and Roman
renaissance. How can humans
have the power to be so good and
still commit atrocities against their
fellow men? Is it in our nature,
or are we taught to behave that
way? Can we change? All of these
questions circle in our heads when
we watch the news and hear of
bombings, mass shootings and war
crimes such as torture. Torture,
above all, incites questions of
human morality — how can a
human physically, mentally and
emotionally abuse another person
for their personal gain? America
has always labeled itself as the
“good guys,” but up until recently,
we did not prove that to be true.
The use of torture or “enhanced
interrogation
techniques”
in
the United States military is an
example of just how hypocritical
we can be in our treatment of other
humans.
In 2014, a United States Senate
report on CIA interrogations swept
the country, shocking Americans
with the number of grisly acts
committed at CIA blacksites and
prisons under U.S. control. For
most of us, it is impossible to
imagine being subject to any of
these techniques — our view of
torture is usually revolve around
waterboarding or people being
beaten senseless. This may seem
extreme, but the reality is much
worse — rectal rehydration, being
squeezed into tiny boxes filled
with all sorts of crawly creatures,
being stripped of all clothing and
tied into an unnatural position for
days on end — the list goes on and
on. Only recently have stories such
as the movie “Zero Dark Thirty”
revealed what happens behind the
scenes, where prisoners have been
deprived of humanity, brought
to the brink of death and back
again, all for the personal gain of
American forces.
To some, this can be

rationalized: The people being
interrogated are possible terrorists,
bad people who have tried to kill
American citizens. Since 9/11, we
have been on the defensive against
Islamic extremists and other
faceless monsters who threaten
our safety. From our warm,
comfortable homes, it is easy to
generalize, stereotype, and sweep
these dark, depressing topics into a
corner for a later day.
The truth is, most Americans
will never experience what it is like
to be in a torture victim’s shoes.
We are blessed to live in a place
where we hold inalienable rights,
and there is nothing wrong with
that. What is wrong is forgetting
about the humanity of the other
side — the fact that these people,
whether they have done bad things
or not, have families, have homes,
have a bed that they dream of
going back to. They are people,
just like us, and they experience
a level of emotional, physical and
psychological pain that most could
never dream of. The New York
Times recently wrote a piece about a
retired Navy psychologist assigned
to examine and treat prisoners
incarcerated for war crimes

in Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo)
prison. The story, titled “Where
even nightmares are classified:
Psychiatric care at Guantanamo
Bay,” is a case study in the effects
of intense torture tactics. Navy Lt.
Comdr. Shay Rosencrans tells of
the untrustworthy, beaten down,
broken patients, who suffered from
hallucinations, nightmares, severe
anxiety and many other Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
symptoms.
It’s a novel concept, isn’t
it — That a so-called “enemy
combatant” could experience the
same symptoms that American
heroes wounded in battle
experience? When you strip
away the titles, the hatred and the
misunderstandings between sides,
each torture victim is human. They
hurt, they mourn, they even feel
joy. Whether a person is fighting
for us or against us, they are still
a person: As a society that holds
so dearly to inalienable rights and
self-evident truths, how can we
validate depriving another human
of these same rights and truths?
Matthew 5:43-47 says, “You
have heard that it was said, ‘Love
your neighbor and hate your

enemy.’ But I tell you, love your
enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, that you may be
children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil
and the good, and sends rain on
the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you,
what reward will you get? Are not
even the tax collectors doing that?
And if you greet only your own
people, what are you doing more
than others? Do not even pagans
do that?”
While not everyone in America
subscribes to Christian values,
there is a lesson to be learned from
this passage — to be the “good
guys” we must extend grace and
mercy to those who may not do
the same for us. Rise above, and
prove that Plato was right when he
said that to choose evil is not in our
nature. Though the lesser of two
evils may be leaving us vulnerable
to extremist attacks, our moral
and spiritual health will crumble
under the weight of the greater.
Torture is inhumane, and unless
we want to lose the humanity we
strip prisoners of, we need to set
a precedent of intolerance for
abusive interrogation techniques.

COLUMN

We’re all just walking each other home
KARYN SIMPSON
Copy Desk Chief
We live in a society that
places an incredibly high
value on personal ability.
We are taught from a young
age to be independent, to
control the controllables, to
format our lives so that we
only truly rely on ourselves.
Especially
as
college
students, working anxiously
to prepare ourselves for life
post-graduation, we strive to become survivors,
men and women who can succeed of our own
volition because placing our fate in someone
else’s hands is a risk.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Independence gives us the ability to test our
own limits, to learn how capable we truly are.
But it’s easy to forget that there is also value in
community, in standing together, in leaning on
others for support and giving yours in return.
At some point, we’ve begun to societally
equate independence with isolation, strength
with the ability to need no one outside of

ourselves. We idolize the “self-made man,” and
we’ve turned life into a competition of who
needs the least help — in classes, at work, in
relationships. We look down on those who are
handed opportunities and ostracize those who
seek extra assistance.
A few weeks ago, one of my closest friends
shared with me a quote by author and spiritual
leader Ram Dass that read, “We are all just
walking each other home.” As someone who is
fiercely independent myself, I haven’t been able
to stop thinking about the idea behind these few
short words.
We are all just walking each other home.
Amid national and global turmoil, amid
elections, amid competitions for grades, for jobs,
for approval, this quote serves as a reminder
that we are all walking the same path. We are
traveling through life together, experiencing the
same events from myriad perspectives, facing
decisions that affect more than simply our own
lives.
Given the opportunity, I have always chosen
to stand on my own two feet rather than rely on
others for help, and this isn’t necessarily a bad
thing, but leaning on others does not make you
weak – it makes you human, and strength can

be found in unity as much as in independence.
We live in a world in turmoil. Monday, a man
on an Ohio campus drove his truck into a group
of students then ran among them, stabbing 11.
Tuesday, the New York Times reported that ISIS
has dug another mass grave in Iraq, and even
as I write this, the police scanner that sits on
the desk beside mine screams news of a girl
being held hostage. 2016 has been compared
to a dumpster fire where violence, chaos and
destruction has become commonplace, and in
this time of extreme, global turmoil, it is more
important than ever to band together, to unite
and lean on one another for support, because
we truly have no idea what will come with the
next sunrise.
We live in a society that values independence
more highly than almost any other ideological
tenet, but we’ve lost sight of the strength
and comfort found in togetherness, in
sharing suffering, pain and the burden of life.
Independence does not have to mean isolation.
After all, at the end of the day, we’re all just
walking each other home.
Karyn Simpson is a senior environmental
studies and journalism major from Fair Oak
Ranch.

Contact Us

Opinion

General Questions:
Lariat@baylor.edu
254-710-1712

The Baylor Lariat welcomes reader viewpoints through letters to the editor and
guest columns. Opinions expressed in the Lariat are not necessarily those of
the Baylor administration, the Baylor Board of Regents, the student body or the
Student Publications Board.

Editorials, Columns & Letters
Editorials express the opinions of the Lariat Editorial Board. Lariat letters and
columns are the opinions of an individual and not the Baylor Lariat.

Lariat Letters
To submit a Lariat Letter, email Lariat_Letters@baylor.edu. Letters should be a
maximum of 400 words. The letter is not guaranteed to be published.

Thursday, December 1, 2016
The Baylor Lariat

News

DEADLINE from Page 1

Stein
requests
recount
in third
state
DAVID EGGERT
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. — Green
Party presidential nominee
Jill Stein on Wednesday
requested a full hand recount
of Michigan’s presidential
vote, making it the third state
narrowly won by Republican
Donald Trump where she
wants another look at the
results.
Stein previously asked
for recounts of the votes in
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
President-elect
Trump
defeated Democrat Hillary
Clinton by about 10,700 votes
out of nearly 4.8 million ballots
cast in Michigan, or two-tenths
of a percentage point. But
Stein alleges that irregularities
and the possibility that vote
scanning devices could have
been hacked call the results
into
question.
Elections
officials in all three states have
expressed confidence in the
results.
Michigan’s recount could
start as early as Friday, though
a challenge to the recount by
Trump may delay it.
“We simply won’t know
if there was hacking or
interference in this election
unless we look at the votes
— every vote systematically,
impartially and by hand,”
Jessica Clarke, a lawyer for the
Stein campaign, said during a
news conference outside of the
Michigan Bureau of Elections.
University of Michigan
computer
scientist
Alex
Halderman,
who
says
voting machines and optical
scanners that count ballots are
prone to errors and outside
manipulation, told reporters
that the recount will show “for
sure” whether cyber-attacks
have occurred.
“More importantly, (the
recount) will provide a defense
in the future and a deterrent to
any adversary who might want
to try to hack future elections.”
Trump’s victory is highly
unlikely to be reversed in any
of the states.
The GOP says a Michigan
recount would cost taxpayers
far more than the $973,000
Stein paid when filing her
recount petition.
Secretary of State Ruth
Johnson, a Republican, called
Stein’s request “unusual,”
especially since there is no
evidence of fraud or “even
a credible allegation of any
tampering.
“Nevertheless,
county
clerks have been gearing up to
complete this recount under
a very challenging (Dec. 13)
deadline,” she said. “They’ll be
working nights and weekends.
I know they will do a great job
because we have some of the
best clerks in the country here
in Michigan.”
Meanwhile in Wisconsin,
where Trump defeated Clinton
by roughly 22,000 votes, Stein’s
campaign said it won’t appeal a
judge’s ruling that Wisconsin’s
recount can be done without
counting every ballot by hand.
Most counties plan to do hand
recounts anyway. That recount
is due to start Thursday.
The Wisconsin Republican
Party filed a complaint with the
Federal Elections Commission
on Wednesday alleging that
Stein’s recount effort amounts
to
illegal
coordination
with Clinton designed to
circumvent the law and public
scrutiny.
Stein’s campaign manager,
David Cobb, said in a statement
that Stein isn’t coordinating
with anyone and he dismissed
the complaint as a “PR stunt to
push a false narrative that will
ultimately have no impact on
the recount in Wisconsin.”
Trump defeated Clinton in
Pennsylvania by about 71,000
votes, or about 1 percentage
point.

3

FEEDBACK Course evaluations for the fall semester are available for students to complete until
Dec. 8 through Canvas.

Students can access
course evaluations through
the emails they receive,
which provide three options:
the course evaluations
page
on
the
Baylor
website, Canvas, and the
EvaluationKIT application.
The online surveys remain
open for about a month; this
semester they are open from
Nov. 14 to Dec. 8.
According to Null, Baylor
University has an average
response rate of about 6365 percent. Students who
complete course evaluations
for all of their classes will
have a chance to win a
$20 gift card to Amazon

or the Baylor University
Bookstore. Some professors
also offer extra credit as
an incentive for completed
course evaluations.
“I wish more students
would complete course
evaluations,” The Woodlands
junior Austin Weynand said.
“I know that completing
evals seems retroactive
since it won’t affect our
experience,
considering
we will have completed the
course already, but it could
affect future classes. And as
a university full of forwardthinking students, isn’t that
a good enough reason on its
own?”

What’s
Happening
on Campus?
Hang out with friends and get connected
at these fun and free* events

Thursday, Dec. 1 | Christmas at the Mayborn

4:30 p.m. Enjoy Christmas cookies, a nativity themed photo-op, a visit from Santa, make your
own holiday decorations and more at the Mayborn Museum Complex. Admission is free for
museum members and Baylor University students.

Thursday, Dec. 1 | Men for Change

5:30 p.m. Join Men for Change every Thursday in the Bobo Spiritual Life Center Chapel to meet
and discuss ideas of spirituality and masculinity in a brave space.

Thursday, Dec. 1 | Christmas on 5th Street

6 p.m. Celebrate the season at Baylor’s annual Christmas on 5th Street! Enjoy a variety of
activities including a live nativity, petting zoo, pictures with Santa, Christmas tree lighting
on Burleson Quadrangle and the Christmas Marketplace on the 3rd floor of the SUB! For a
complete list of activities and schedule of events visit baylor.edu/Christmason5th.

Thursday, Dec. 1 & Friday, Dec. 2 | A Baylor Christmas

7:30 p.m. Enjoy performances by the combined choirs of Baylor University and the Baylor
Symphony Orchestra, conducted by visiting professor of choral music Jerry McCoy at Jones
Concert Hall. To purchase tickets, visit baylor.edu/tickets.

Friday, Dec. 2 | UBreak

10 a.m. Take a break from your busy schedule for a free breakfast, a cup of coffee and
community in the SUB, UB Room. Be sure to B.Y.O.M. (bring your own mug)!

Tuesday, Dec. 6 | Midnight Breakfast

10 p.m. Take a study break and gather with friends for a free breakfast, photo booth, music
and more at Penland Crossroads! No card swipe required.

Wednesday, Dec. 14 – Sunday, Jan. 8 | Christmas Break
All day. Enjoy a safe and merry Christmas with family and friends! See you in 2017, Bears!

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given; and
the government shall be
upon his shoulder, and
His name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6

*Unless otherwise noted.

For more, join Baylor Connect at

baylor.edu/baylorconnect

Follow @BaylorSA and @BaylorUB on Twitter.

4

Thursday, December 1, 2016
The Baylor Lariat

News

Mayborn Museum
hosts holiday event

Stress is in Full Swing

KALYN STORY
Staff Writer
The Mayborn Museum will
host Christmas at the Mayborn
from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today.
The event will bring together
staff, students and community
members in a special Christmasthemed event at the Mayborn
Museum Complex. The event
will feature holiday-themed
activities.
Activities will include a visit
from Santa, a special model
train display from the Central
Texas Area Model Railroaders,
a nativity-themed photo-op
and holiday decoration crafting
station. There will be Christmas
cookies and refreshments as well.
“It is a big kickoff party for the

Timothy Hong | Lariat Photographer

STRESS LESS The Woodlands junior Alli Miller throws paint on a canvas Wednesday afternoon on Fountain Mall to
relieve stress. The event was hosted by Active Minds, a club that has partnered with the Baylor Counseling Center to
fight stigmas about mental health.

holiday season at the museum,”
said Rebecca Nall, assistant
director of communication at the
Mayborn Museum. “We want
as many families and people to
come by.”
Activities
and
events
are included in the price of
admission. Admission is free to
museum members and Baylor
students.
Nall said the museum hosts
a Christmas event every year to
bring in the holiday season and
celebrate with the community.
“We would love for as many
Baylor students to stop by and
enjoy the museum,” Nall said.
“It is free for Baylor students and
it’s a great opportunity for them
to come by while they’re out for
Christmas on Fifth.”

CHURCH from Page 1
program that can help the children
is through the program’s use of the
third-, fourth- and fifth-graders as
tribe leaders for the younger kids.
There are six groups, or “tribes,” of
first- through fifth-graders, and the
tribe leaders are in charge of making
sure the younger kids in their group
are doing what they’re supposed to.
Audrey Wauson, the director of WiN,
said this was a way to keep the older
kids participating in the program
while teaching them important
leadership skills.
“The program is free to [the
third- through fifth-graders] as
long as they participate as a leader,
which means that they have to clean
up, keep an eye on the little kids,
help with the tutoring and take on
all the responsibilities of a regular
volunteer,” Wauson said. “They’re
not old enough to be in charge, but ...
they do everything that they can do so
that the volunteers can supervise and
do the things that grown-ups know.”
Drew Humphrey, the college
pastor at Highland Baptist Church,
said putting the older kids into a
position of leadership was beneficial
because the older kids know what to
expect within the program.
“It’s also a great way for them to
have some ownership and leadership,
and it helps them to grow up a little

bit,” Humphrey said. “Honestly, a
lot of the reasons why they’re in [the
program] is because sometimes they
come from families that don’t have a
lot of structure and don’t have a lot of
positive leadership opportunities for
them to see or engage in themselves.
It’s an opportunity for them to
lead and grow as young, little, tiny
leaders.”
LaGrange, Ky., sophomore Heidi
Keck, a regular attendee at Highland
Baptist Church, said she thinks
the WiN program is great for the
community and hopes it will continue
to develop and grow.
“What the WiN program is
doing is providing something that
every family wants, which is more
opportunities for their kids to get
interaction and engagement,” Keck
said. “The fact that Highland is
willing to provide a safe place for
kids to go during those couple of
hours is something that’s good for the
parents and the community to hear. It
builds trust between the families and
the church.”
Before the WiN program was
launched, the relationship between
Highland Baptist Church and the
neighborhood was virtually nonexistent, and where it did exist, it was
not on the best terms. Humphrey said,
as of a year ago, the neighborhood

that the church sits in is “the poorest
neighborhood in McLennan County.”
“I think that WiN was kind of the
first move to build some trust in the
community,” Humphrey said. “To be
able to reach into the neighborhood
and to open up our doors and go into
the school and those things… we’re
just scratching the surface.”
One thing church leadership
encourages church members, regular
attendees and college students to
think about is volunteering with the
WiN program.
“If you want to volunteer, there’s
a variety of ways,” Humphrey said.
The first way is by volunteering at
the program itself.
When WiN first started, it had
20 children with a lot of volunteers
because the strong involvement when
something is new dies down after
it has been around for a few years,
Wauson said.
Now, the program has 40 kids, but
there are not enough volunteers to
meet the desired number of one adult
to every two or three students, which
was a goal primarily for the tutoring
section of the program. Wauson said
she only has two or three volunteers
on Wednesdays and Thursdays
as opposed to six volunteers on
Mondays and Fridays.
“Since it’s an official Highland

ministry, one of the ways that they
get new volunteers is through the new
member class,” Humphrey said.
Other ways to recruit volunteers
include advertisements during the
main service on Sundays, links on the
website and Wauson herself going
to different Adult Bible Fellowship
and Connection Group classes and
talking about the program.
“Once you’re interested, typically
you’ll end up talking to [Wauson]
and then you do the background
check and go through all those kinds
of hoops, and then you’re assigned,”
Humphrey said.
People typically sign up to
volunteer with the program for one
day out of the week, due to the time
of day and time commitment required
of it.
“As with any program, it is the
volunteers that make the program
work well,” Wauson said.
The second way to become
involved with the program is by
becoming a WiN Champion. A WiN
Champion is someone who sponsors
one of the students in the program by
providing funds to take care of things
that the child needs. Each student
requires roughly $270 each school
year to attend WiN.
“That helps pay for a lot of things
that aren’t even related to WiN,”

SWAT

TREES from Page 1
born with a very rare
mitochondrial condition that
went undiagnosed for six
and a half years, Copp said.
Their condition requires
them to use wheelchairs and
walkers all the time due to
spastic and low muscle tone
in their legs. Cops said there
is no cure or prognosis, and
the boys require physical,
occupational and speech
therapy as well as adaptive
equipment.
“Imagine your children
never being able to access
their own backyard, wash
their hands in their bathroom
or bake cookies in the
kitchen with their mom.
That is the heartbreaking
and unbearable situation our

Humphrey said. “To go to school
they have to wear uniforms, so [the
money] pays for their uniforms, and
it also helps with school supplies and
any of the WiN fees [for snacks and
games].”
Humphrey said he would like the
college ministry to possibly sponsor a
second child next year, along with the
child they are currently championing.
“I and the college students
sponsor a girl in the first or second
grade,” Humphrey said. “We raised
the money to sponsor her, prayed for
her, and we get updates from time to
time about her and her family and
things like that.”
The WiN program, Anderson said,
was a way for the church to tell the
children and their families that “we
hear you, we listen, we love you and
we’re going to be here for you.”
“It’s been so great to see the church
body at Highland give back to these
kids [through championing a child]
because they see the impact that this
[program] can have,” Anderson said.
For more information about
the program or how to become a
volunteer or a WiN Champion, go
to WiN’s webpage on the church’s
website or contact go@highlandbc.
org.

from Page 1

family is in,” Copp said. “We
have met with numerous
builders and have seen
dozens and dozens of homes
until we found the one they
could call home. The home
met all the criteria for us to
make accessible. However,
we need help raising the
funds to make it the dream
home our boys need to live
in.”
The
event
website
describes the event as a
“wonderland of inspiring
and creative Christmas
trees.” Local businesses,
churches, organizations and
individuals have submitted
trees to support the event
and to be judged and sold at
a buy-now price, meaning

the price is set in stone, in the
contest. Trees that haven’t
been sold will be auctioned
off after judging on Sunday.
The event features guest
judges
Senator
Brian
Birdwell and Christi Proctor
from TLC’s Trading Spaces.
According to the event
website, funds raised will
help aid in the purchase of
roll-under bathroom sinks,
a roll-under kitchen island,
an accessible shower and
integrated ramps at the front
and back doors of the home.
“I
think
just
the
opportunity to bring people
together and to celebrate
a lot of wonderful lives is
important because we’re all
here to love and serve each

other in the name of our
Lord,” said Julie Melton,
owner and director of Hope
and Believe Therapy, a
champion sponsor of the
event. “Just spreading the
message of love and of Jesus
is exciting, and it’s a great
season to do that. It’s all
about giving and showing
love.”
Admission is a $5
donation at the door both
Saturday and Sunday. Some
of the categories the trees
will compete for include
Most Valuable Tree (a.k.a.
the tree that raises the
most money), Best Use of
Lighting, Most Colorful
Tree and Most Surprising
Tree. Companies such as

Hey Sugar! Candy Store,
Barefoot Campus Outfitters
and Mary Kay will decorate
custom trees. A full list of
categories, tree decorators
and sponsors can be found
on the event’s website.
“This year, we decided
to be a sponsor. We are
not decorating a tree; we
just contributed a financial
donation to be a sponsor. The
Copp family is a family we
knew, so we wanted to honor
them,” Melton said. “We just
feel really blessed to be in
a position to give. With any
business there are ups and
downs, and for us to be in a
position to help support this
event is a blessing, and we’re
very honored.”

Ray Arias, a resident of the
neighborhood, said his house
was robbed two nights before.
He said Christmas presents
were stolen from his trailer. It
is unclear who the thief was;
however, Evans is a current
suspect for theft in the area,
according to Swanton.
“Our investigation will
continue. We are working a
follow-up originally here. That
individual is, at this point, a
person of interest,” Swanton
said. “He was considered
armed and dangerous ...
but again, it was a peaceful
resolution based on his
decision to come out of the
home.”

(254) 757-1215
*Coupon must be present
*Offer valid at all Waco Locations

SAME DAY SERVICE!

Not valid with
any other special

Check back with
the Lariat every
Thursday to see
New Deals and
Waco Hot Spots!

arts&life

Thursday, December 1, 2016
The Baylor Lariat

5

b ay lo r l a r i at.c o m

On-The-GO >>Happenings: Visit @BULariatArts to see what’s going on in #ThisWeekinWaco

A season for giving

BaylorLariat.com

This week
in Waco:
>> Today
4:30 p.m. — Christmas at the
Mayborn. Baylor students
and museum members can
enjoy free Christmas cookies,
a nativity-themed photo-op, a
visit from Santa and the ability
to make their own holiday
decorations and more. Mayborn
Museum Complex. Free
5:30 p.m. — Men for Change
meets to discuss ideas of
spirituality and masculinity in a
safe space. Bobo Spiritual Life
Center

Trey Honeycutt | Lariat File Photo

LIGHT IT UP Fraternity Kappa Omega Tau holds its annual Christmas tree lighting during Baylor’s Christmas on Fifth Street on Dec. 3,
2015. Christmas on Fifth will begin at 5:30 p.m. today at the Burleson Quadrangle and throughout the Bill Daniel Student Center.

Kappa Omega Tau gives back with Christmas on Fifth
BEN WOOLLEY
Reporter
Christmas lights have returned
to Burleson Quad as Christmas on
Fifth Street will finally commence
at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Among all
of the events, Kappa Omega Tau
will hold its annual Christmas
tree lighting, which is one of
the longest-lasting Christmas
traditions on campus.
“Nothing gets me more ‘lit’ for
Christmas than the tree lighting
and Christmas on 5th,” Woodlands
sophomore Connor Weaverling
said.
In its 51st year, the KOT
Christmas tree lighting will have a
34-and-a-half foot tree decorated
top to bottom in lights and
ornaments.
The tree was reserved in June
as the second largest tree on the
farm by KOT member Price Peters.
The tree came in on a three-day
shipment from Maryland.
“The preparation for this

event is a lot of work, especially
considering it only lasts three
hours. We are named chairs in
April and have dozens of meetings
and hundreds of calls before we
actually even see the tree,” said
Austin junior Joey Phillips, a KOT
Christmas tree lighting chair. “As
hard as it is, it’s a great feeling
knowing we have an opportunity
to help so many people through a
simple event.”

“To see so many people
gather to celebrate the
season and the birth of
Jesus Christ is a really
special thing.”
Corey Fawcett | Kappa Omega
Tau member
This year, all the proceeds from
the event will be donated to two

charities, The Last Well and The
Jubilee Food Market.
The goal of The Last Well is
to make clean water available
to every person in Liberia. The
charity is partnered with several
organizations both in Africa and
in the United States to maximize
their reach.
Every $3,000 donated produces
another
well
and
another
community with access to clean
drinking water. KOT has a $30,000
goal for this organization.
The Jubilee Food Market is part
of Mission Waco and is a nonprofit
serving an underprivileged area
that was without a grocery store
within walking distance. These
people eat mostly food from gas
stations, which is detrimental
to their health and overall wellbeing. The project has already
received almost two-thirds of their
$450,000 dollar goal.
Proceeds from T-shirts and
tickets sales from Christmas on
Fifth will go directly to the two

charities. T-shirts will be $15. The
Comfort Colored T-shirts will be
$15 and will be sold near the tree
and at the concert in Waco Hall
during Christmas on Fifth.
“I love that this event brings the
entire Baylor community together,”
said Nashville, Tenn. junior Corey
Fawcett, who is a KOT member.
“To see so many people gather to
celebrate the season and the birth
of Jesus Christ is a really special
thing and is something that only
happens at a place like Baylor.”
The tree lighting will begin
at 8:15 p.m. at the Burleson
Quadrangle. There will be a
concert to follow featuring Texas
country artists Cory Morrow and
Prophets and Outlaws beginning
at 9 p.m. and ending at 11:15 p.m.
in Waco Hall.
Tickets for the concert can be
bought at the Bill Daniel Student
Building ticket office, at Waco
Hall during the event or online at
baylor.edu/tickets. Tickets to the
concert are free for students.

6 p.m. — Christmas on Fifth
Street. Enjoy a variety of
activities such as a petting
zoo, pictures with Santa and
a Christmas tree lighting.
Burleson Quadrangle and
the Christmas Marketplace
on the third floor of the Bill
Daniel Student Center. More
information available at baylor.
edu/christmason5th

Coaching Carousel
Who does
Baylor
hire next?
NATHAN KEIL
Sports Writer
With football’s regular season reaching its
conclusion on Saturday in Morgantown, W. Va.,
one question is burning in everyone’s mind:
Who will be the next head football coach at
Baylor?
Acting head coach Jim Grobe reiterated at
his weekly press conference on Monday that he
will not be the head coach of Baylor football in
2017.
“I told the players and coaches when I came
that I was just here to help. I didn’t come to
restart a career. I really just wanted to help these
guys get through a season,” Grobe said. “Mack
[Rhoades] was very concerned as the season
was progressing that we were playing well, that
I understood that he was considering me. I
wanted him to know early on that it has nothing
to do with anything that has happened over the
past five games that I was not a candidate, that
I was here to help for a season and then I would
be out of here, and that he needed to start his
search and be focused to find the next best guy
for Baylor.”
The search for Baylor’s next head football
coach has been well under way since before
Grobe’s reiteration on Monday. It had been
previously reported that the Bears were

Associated Press

BAYLOR BOUND Southern Methodist University head coach Chad Morris (left) and University
of California head coach Sonny Dykes (right) are being discussed as Baylor’s next football head
coach.

interested in Southern Methodist University’s
head coach Chad Morris and the University of
Houston’s head coach Tom Herman. However,
Herman was hired on Saturday at the University

Cowboys on verge
of playoff berth
BARRY WILNER
Associated Press
Here’s a measure of just
how good things are going in
Big D. One team can clinch
a playoff berth this weekend:
the Cowboys.
Dallas visits Minnesota on
tonight. With a victory and
either a loss by Washington
or a loss/tie by Tampa Bay
gets the Cowboys into the
postseason parade.
Minnesota’s
defense
should provide a decent
challenge
for
rookie

sensations Ezekiel Elliott, the
league’s leading rusher, and
quarterback Dak Prescott. If
the Vikings can get some sort
of penetration through the
best offensive line in football,
they could have a chance.
But they must steer clear of
falling behind against Dallas,
something most Cowboys
opponents haven’t avoided.
The Cowboys are ranked
atop the AP Pro32 as they
go for an 11th straight win
since their opening loss to the
Giants, who they take on next
week.

of Texas to replace Charlie Strong, and on
Tuesday, sources close to Morris say that he told
his staff that he would return to the Mustangs
next season.

In a 247 sports article from Monday, Travis
Haney reported that Baylor was moving on
from its negotiations with Morris due to several
complications. The first of which was a possible
link between Morris and Texas A&M, if the
Aggies were to fire Kevin Sumlin after dropping
four of their last five games following a 6-0 start.
The second was concerning the asking price for
Morris, considering the offensive performance
Navy displayed against the Mustangs on
Saturday.
The sports division of the Dallas Morning
News, Sportsday, reports that Morris countered
an offer made to him by Baylor with a five-year,
$24.5 million offer, which Baylor rejected. It
also reports that the source said that if Morris
declined the offer, then Baylor officials would
deny any claims that an offer was made.
With Morris’ name out of the mix for now, a
new name has emerged as the focus of Baylor’s
search: University of California head coach
Sonny Dykes. The Golden Bears are coming
off of a disappointing 5-7 season, and after four
seasons at Cal, Dykes is 19-30.
Dykes has ties to Texas, being the son of
former Texas Tech head coach Spike Dykes. He
also runs a high-speed, up-tempo offense that
could translate well to Baylor and the offensive
system that is in place for the Bears.
Mark Schlabach of ESPN also reports that
former San Francisco 49ers coach and former
Baylor linebacker Mike Singletary and Arkansas
State’s Blake Anderson are potential other
candidates. Haney reports that North Carolina’s
Larry Fedora and Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre
could also be targets for Baylor as well.
There is no timetable for Rhoades in bringing
in the next head coach at Baylor. However,
with a bowl game looming and an important
recruiting season approaching, the quicker the
decision, the quicker Baylor can get a fresh start
and get back to business.

Save the dateFebruary 2nd
7:00 PM

“Booze gave me permission
to do and be whatever I wanted.”

Drinking,
blackouts,
and
seeking
power
beyond
the
bottle:

A Conversation with
Sarah Hepola

Thursday, December 1, 2016
The Baylor Lariat

Sports

7

Tiger Woods
returns to golf
DOUG FERGUSON
Associate Press

Courtesy of Ventura Sports Group

BIG LEAGUES The name and logo for BlueCats, Bellmead’s Southwest League of Professional Baseball team, was selected from
over 700 different submissions. BlueCats are a nod to the largest species of North American catfish, popular in the Brazos River
and Lake Waco.

Play ball, Waco
Waco minor league team unveils name
JORDAN SMITH
Sports Writer
For the first time in 60 years, there
will be a professional baseball team
playing with the city of Waco’s name on
their jerseys.
This new independent league team
will be called the Waco BlueCats and
will be located in Bellmead. This team
will be a part of the Southwest League of
Professional Baseball, which will debut
in the spring of 2018.
The city put up a community vote
on what the name of the minor league
ball club would be named. Out of the
1,800 submissions that were sent in, the
BlueCats came out the winners. BlueCats
field manager Stan Hough was happy to
see the community be involved with the
team already.
“We’re thrilled to have the community
so engaged in the process of choosing
the name after a 60-year absence of
professional baseball (in Waco),” Hough
said.
The BlueCats are set to play in The
Ballpark at Bellmead, which will be an

$11 million multi-purpose ballpark
with a capacity of 2,000 to 4,000 seats.
This ballpark will have many features
including artificial turf, a children’s play
area and luxury suites. The Ballpark
at Bellmead will also potentially host
a multitude of events, including D-II,
D-III and junior college baseball, as well
as professional soccer matches, rugby,
concerts, festivals and high school
football.
The winner of the naming contest
was Waco resident Steve Fischer. With
his winning submission of the BlueCats
name, he was awarded with lifetime
season tickets for the BlueCats’ games.
However, this isn’t his family’s first rodeo
in selecting professional ball club names.
Fischer’s
grandfather,
Houston
resident Bill Neder, won a contest that
named the Colt .45’s of Houston in 1962
prior to their name change in 1965 to the
current name Houston Astros.
“Naming professional baseball teams
must run in my blood,” Fischer said.
This is the first team that has been
announced to join the Southwest
League, a brand new independent league
that will host several mid-sized city

teams. SWL president Mark Schuster
is excited to bring baseball back to the
Waco area for the first time in more than
half a decade.
Schuster said he is ecstatic for both
the choice that the area has made for the
name and look of the new team.
“We love the name and the logo,”
Schuster said. “The chosen name met
all three criteria for selection, including
the name having some tie to the Waco
market, the nickname being unique to
professional baseball team names, and
it’s a name that kids will embrace.”
The last time Waco had a baseball
team was in 1956 when the Waco Pirates
played their final game in Waco at Katy
Park which now is home to a parking
lot for Magnolia. The ballpark opened
its gates on April 6, 1905, and closed
its doors in 1956. A decade later, the
ballpark was demolished to make way
for a parking lot.
Fans can begin to purchase official
BlueCats caps on the team website
starting at 9 a.m. Friday at www.
wacobluecats.com. Fans can also
purchase season tickets at this time by
calling (254) 709-2995.

Chapecoense soccer
club to rebuild after
devastating plane crash
MAURICIO SAVARESE
Associated Press
CHAPECO, Brazil – Six players, a handful of
support staff and deep sorrow are all that remain
of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer club.
They will still try to play again. Because they
know that’s what their 19 teammates who died
when a charter plane ripped into an Andean
mountainside would want them to do.
“In the memory of those who died and to
honor their families, we will rebuild this club
from scratch so it is even stronger,” club director
and local businessman Cecilio Hans said. “We
had material assets and human assets. Now
we’ve lost nearly all of our human assets.”
Other clubs in Brazil’s top league are offering
to loan players to Chapecoense, with a proposal
that the modest club in deep southern Brazil is
guaranteed to stay in the top division for the
next three years.
“The club will rebuild, I am sure,” said Walter
Feldman, secretary general of the Brazilian
Football Confederation. “Eight clubs have
already called me to offer concrete, material
solidarity. We are studying ways to best help.”
Monday’s crash occurred as the team was
on its way to the two-game final of the Copa
Sudamericana - the No. 2 tournament on the
continent. Only three players survived, and
all are recovering at a hospital in Colombia:
defender Hélio Zampier, commonly known as
Neto, defender-midfielder Alan Ruschel and
goalkeeper Jakson Follmann, whose right leg
had to be amputated on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Marcelo Boeck said he and
several players had deals to leave the club new
one next year. He said they’re reconsidering.
“We know this is a different moment, and
we are part of it,” he said. “We hope we can help
rebuild in the memory of our team.”
The rebuilding could start Dec. 11, the date
scheduled for the final round of league matches
in the top Brazilian league. Games have been
called off this weekend for a period of mourning.
Chapecoense’s acting President Ivan Tozzo
told reporters on Wednesday the club hopes to
play that match against Atletico Mineiro using a
primarily junior team.
After that match, there is uncertainty over
Chapecoense’s future. If the team is awarded
the Copa Sudamericana tittle -like its final

Associated Press

TRAGEDY Rescue workers recover a body
from the wreckage site of an airplane crash, in
La Union, a mountainous area near Medellin,
Colombia, on Tuesday.

opponent Atletico Nacional proposed - it would
qualify for next year’s Copa Libertadores, the
Champions League of South America which
begins in February.
Data analyst Victor Hugo, one of the key
assistants to coach Caio Junior, who died in the
crash, said very little remains.
“We have a couple of doctors, two
physiotherapists, two locker room staffers,
one nurse, one masseur, one goalie coach and
me,” he said, speaking at Chapecoense’s Arena
Conda.
Hugo said the staff members and six players
not selected for the big match in Colombia some because of injury, others because of the
coach’s decision - are trying to cope with the
tragedy.
“That disappointment over not being chosen
to be there was quickly replaced by that horrible
mixture of grief, and with some relief just to be
alive,” he said. “That will stick with us forever.”
Veteran goalkeeper Nivaldo was not selected
so he could prepare for his 300th game with the
club on Sunday against Atletico Mineiro in the
last game of the Brazilian league season.
“My teammates would want us to play that
match,” a teary and emotional Nivaldo said. “I
just don’t know how I could stand a full stadium
with people calling the name of the players that
died. We will have to try, I think. But that is
going to be hard.”

NASSAU,
Bahamas
– Everyone is watching,
everyone is curious, and
Jordan Spieth had the
perfect view of Tiger Woods
for his return to golf.
Spieth was on the 17th
green and looked across a
narrow pond to the ninth tee
at Albany Golf Club where
Woods stood over his tee
shot during the Wednesday
pro-am. He saw the swing,
but he lost sight of the ball in
the glare of the tropical sun.
“Where did it go?” Spieth
said as he tried to gauge
where the ball might land.
“Not in the fairway.”
He looked again.
“Whoa! There it is WAY down there,” he said.
“Damn.”
The shots and the score
don’t count until Thursday
at the Hero World Challenge
with an 18-man field, small
but strong. Woods is playing
for the first time in 465 days.
The expectations have rarely
been this varied. The interest
is as high as ever.
“He’s the only person ...
in the last 30 years in golf
that any expectation you set,
he’ll somehow prove to you
that he can do better,” Spieth
said. “But I think with this,
I just hope that everyone
gives him time. I hope he
has the time to fall into a
rhythm and just get enough
tournaments where he can
kind of build up that seeing
the shots under competition,
under the gun.”
Woods last played on
Aug. 23, 2015, when he
closed with a 70 at the
Wyndham Championship
to fall out of contention
and tie for 10th. Two back
surgeries followed, leaving

Associated Press

CHAMP IS BACK Tiger
Woods walks from the
seventh tee during the
Pro-Am at the Hero World
Challenge golf tournament
on Nov. 30 in Nassau,
Bahamas.

him so debilitated at times
that he wondered if he
would ever play.
He tees off at high noon
in the Bahamas with Patrick
Reed, who idolized his golf
so much as a teenager that
he wears black pants and a
red shirt on Sunday.
Reed is but one example
of the golf landscape to
which Woods returns, one
of seven players in the 18man field who were not even
on tour when Woods last
won a major at the 2008 U.S.
Open. Another is Russell
Knox, who said recently,
“My short career will never
be over until I play with
Tiger Woods.”
It was only three years
ago that Woods won five
times and was PGA Tour
player of the year. That still
wasn’t the dominance he
once had over the game,
for he finished in the top 10
only 53 percent of the time,
his lowest rate in a dozen
years.
“I’m going to try to win
this thing,” Woods said.